The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium and referred to by the name xe2x80x98Anastasiaxe2x80x99.
The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross made by the Inventor in the Autumn of 1998, in ""s-Gravenzande, The Netherlands, of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Spider White, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Chrysanthemum selection identified as code number 93411, as the male, or pollen, parent. Seed from the cross was sown in March, 1999, and the cultivar Anastasia was discovered and selected by the Inventor within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in ""s-Gravenzande, The Netherlands, on or about Jun. 25, 1999. The selection of this plant was based on its inflorescence form, color and good substance.
Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by terminal cuttings harvested in ""s-Gravenzande, The Netherlands, since August 1999, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Anastasia has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Anastasiaxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Anastasiaxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Large quilled spider double-type inflorescences with white ray florets; typically grown as a disbudded type, a single inflorescence per flowering stem.
2. Numerous ray florets and few disc florets; disc florets typically inconspicuous.
3. Dark green foliage.
4. Strong flowering stems.
5. Low number of lateral branches which reduces the amount of disbudding required.
6. Short response time.
7. Excellent postproduction longevity.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the male parent, the cultivar Spider White. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in ""s-Gravenzande, The Netherlands, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Spider White in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum developed fewer lateral inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Spider White.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had darker green and broader leaves than plants of the cultivar Spider White.
3. Leaves of plants of the new Chrysanthemum had shorter petioles than leaves of plants of the cultivar Spider White.
4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about one week earlier than plants of the cultivar Spider White.
5. Disc florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were inconspicuous whereas the disc florets of plants of the cultivar Spider White were conspicuous.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of the female parent, the selection 93411. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in ""s-Gravenzande, The Netherlands, plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the selection 93411 differed in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had longer flowering stems than plants of the selection 93411.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had darker green and larger leaves than plants of the selection 93411.
3. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were quilled whereas ray florets of plants of the selection 93411 were incurved.
4. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum developed few disc florets whereas inflorescences of plants of the selection 93411 developed many disc florets.
5. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum did not produce as much pollen as plants of the selection 93411.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are similar to plants of the cultivar Delistar, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 11,964. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in ""s-Gravenzande, The Netherlands, plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Delistar differed in the following characteristics:
1. Stem color of plants of the new Chrysanthemum was slightly darker than stem color of plants of the cultivar Delistar.
2. Leaf color of plants of the new Chrysanthemum was darker than leaf color of plants of the cultivar Delistar.
3. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were longer and broader than ray florets of the cultivar Delistar.
4. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were larger and had more ray florets than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar Delistar.
5. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had shorter and thicker peduncles than plants of the cultivar Delistar.